The Challenge of Innovating in Government

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By

Sandford Borins

Professor of Public Management

University of Toronto at Scarborough Joseph L. Rotman School of Management borins@utsc.utoronto.ca

This report develops a tool-kit of practical advice for would-be public management innovators based on the experiences of successful public management innovators in a variety of countries. Through a survey of the Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management (CAPAM) international innovation award winners, a series of tool-kit characteristics are generated of innovations and tactics used to build alliances of supporters and overcome obstacles. The study addresses questions such as the implementation obstacles that were encountered, how they were dealt with, and which obstacles still remain. In addition, the report defines and describes each of these tools. Innovation